Lunga office, house construction to commence in fortnight’s time

Construction of offices and houses for civil servants in the newly created Lunga District in Luapula province is expected to commence in the next two weeks.

Local Government and Housing Minister Emerine Kabanshi disclosed that government has already signed contracts with contactors who she said were expected to commence construction works in a fortnight’s time.

Ms. Kabanshi said government wants all workers, who have been employed in various ministries and departments in the new district, to be accommodated within the district as opposed to the current scenario where they live in Samfya, a neighboring district across Lake Bangweulu.

She was speaking when she addressed hundreds of Lunga district residents who turned up to celebrate the Musubilwa Mpemba traditional ceremony at Nsamba primary school in Chief Nsamba’s area.

And Ms. Kabanshi has said government will complete the construction of Nsamba secondary school and additional teachers’ houses in Lunga district before the end of this year.

She said government was committed to developing Lunga district adding that it will also construct a district hospital and seven health centres in the area in order to take health services as close to the people as possible.

She said construction of the health centres will commence anytime soon this year and that government has also arranged to install towers in the district in order to improve network for the mobile phones.

Ms. Kabanshi said the towers will be installed in all the chiefdoms in Lunga districts.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kabanshi took time during the ceremony to sensitize people on the process of decentralization which her ministry is currently implementing.

She said government has since reviewed and revised the decentralization policy and the local government Act to allow it to transfer additional power and resources to the people in order to allow them play a leading role in implementing development in their area.